The Darkness Within
by FieryCaptainSpiderSanta
Summary: She was the new baddie. She may be young, but she would watch the world collapse into shadows, and revel in the chaos. They thought Pitch was bad? He had nothing on Mara...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- I have way too many cool ideas. They usually come during school, and I end out scribbling them down, only half listening to the teacher. Is that bad? Probably. But, I do get good grades. So, I think I'm okay.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this one. It kinda randomly popped into my head one day.**

I opened my eyes, and saw only darkness. Most people would have been scared by it. A while ago, I would have, too. Not anymore. The darkness would never scare me again.

How can you fear what you control?

* * *

The shadow looked around, and saw that it was in a brightly lit field. It was night out, so the light came from the full moon shining above it. The creature scowled at the moon. Light. What a pathetic thing. Mistress would get rid of all the light, and the shadow-creature would help. Mistress would be so happy. A cold wind blew past, but it didn't shiver. It liked the cold. The cold complimented the darkness. The creature walked leisurely into the town, before using the shadows to appear in a small child's room. She was sleeping on her bed, golden fairies made of sand dancing in circles over her head. It reached out and stroked one, smiling when the fairy turned black and demonic. The darkness spread to the other fairies, changing them in the same way, turning the little girl's dream into a nightmare. She cried softly, and the creature's grin widened.

It's job done, the creature walked out of her room, and into the room of the little boy the next room over. He was about nine or ten, but that didn't matter. What mattered was his friends. The creature needed to send them a message, and it knew that he could get it to them. The creature warped his dream, and leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Go, child. Be messenger. Tell them. Tell friends that darkness is returning. Mistress Mara is coming, and nothing will stop Mistress."

It straightened up, and walked out of the room, smiling softly to itself. The creature lingered at the door, looking at the boy out of the corner of it's eye. Then, it left Jamie's house, and returned to spreading the fear and darkness.

* * *

(Third Person POV)

Jamie woke up in a cold sweat, his heart racing. He looked around the room, but didn't see anyone. His heartbeat slowed. He just had a nightmare, a really bad one, too. Nothing like that had happened to anyone in this town ever since-

Ever since Pitch Black was defeated.

Jamie gasped in horror, and jumped up, running to the window. He didn't really know what he was doing- he didn't have a way to contact Jack Frost and the Guardians, after all. But, as he watched thick snowflakes falling, he smiled in relief. Jack would be there tomorrow, and Jamie could warn him.

* * *

I paced around the throne room of my dark fortress, hidden deep in the ground. It was expansive, and made entirely of obsidian, darker than night. The only light was from flickering torches, that cast long shadows across the room. I glared at the servant who was cowering in the middle of the room. I had created minions out of the shadows to assist me in spreading the darkness and fear. Little did I know how pathetic they would be. But, they did get the job done. "Explain to me again, exactly, how this happened?"

My voice was steely calm, which frightened the shadow-creature more than if I had shouted. It shook violently, and mumbled something unintelligible. I walked over, and grabbed it by the collar, forcing it to look me in the eye. I smiled sweetly, but my eyes held nothing but pure malice. "I'm sorry, I could hear you. Could you run that by me again?"

The creature cowered, and looked away. When it spoke this time, it's voice shook fiercely. "One of the shadows, Mistress. One of the weaker ones to be exact. It told the little boy, Jamie, the Guardians' friend, about you."

The creature cringed away when I growled and balled my fists in anger. I took a deep breath, and ground my teeth. This was very bad for my plan. I glared at the messenger. "Send them to me. Once you have done that, you are dismissed."

The creature nodded fearfully, and ran out of the room. A few minutes later, a new creature walked in, looking proud of itself. "Mistress Mara called for Creature?"

I took another deep breath, and smiled, walking over, and standing before the creature. "Yes, I did. You are the one who told James Bennett about me, correct?"

The creature nodded happily, obviously thinking it was here for a reward. "Yes, Mistress. The Guardians will cower in fear when they hear Mistress's name. Mistress will rule!"

My heart was warmed by this one's loyalty, I will admit. I cocked my head, and gave a sugar-coated smile. "Sweety, are you new?" The creature nodded, and I took a slow breath through my nose. "Okay, well, you do know the plan, right?" It nodded again. "So, when was my being alive supposed to be known?"

"When it is too late to stop Mistress," the creature responded eagerly. Wow, this thing was pathetic.

"So, why would you tell them now?"

"Because Mistress can never be stopped!" It answered stoically. "Mistress will rule the world in darkness!"

I smiled, and shook my head. "Listen, you made things very, very hard for me, now. We can only hope that I can smooth this over. But for now, let's give you the prize you deserve, shall we? Isn't that what you came for?"

"Creature came because Mistress called," the creature said carefully. "Creature needs no other prize, than serving Mistress."

I smiled sweetly. "Oh, but I must reward you for your service."

I walked away, pacing the room again. I taped my finger against my lips, feigning deep thought. "Hmm, what could we give you?" I snapped my fingers, and turned to face the creature, an evil grin on my face. "I know! What do you do to a pathetic, useless little creature that ruins your plans?" The creature opened its mouth to respond but I cut it off, glaring now. "You replace them."

The creature's eyes widened in fear, and it started to protest. I ignored it's pleads, and waved my hand. The creature dissipated with a scream of pain, and I sighed. Waving my hand again, a new creature appeared. It bowed deeply to me, before greeting me in it's gravely voice. "How might Creature serve the wonderful Mistress Mara?"

I sighed, and rubbed my temples. "Report to the initiates' wing. I have business to attend to."

The creature scuttled off, and I strode purposefully into the shadows.

* * *

I walked into Jamie's room, to see the boy watching out the window fearfully. I looked down at my disguise, and bit my lip. I hoped that I would be able to convince him. I took a deep breath, and plastered on a fake smile. "Hello, Jamie."

Jamie whipped around to face me. He eyed me warily, studying my pink dress, braided hair, and face covered in makeup. "Who are you?"

"I'm Valentine," I lied. "I'm a friend of the Guardians."

It wasn't entirely false. There was a spirit named Valentine (I really hated her), and she was a friend of the Guardians. I just wasn't her.

Jamie took a cautious step towards me. "You know Jack?"

I nodded. "Oh, yeah. Now, listen to me. Something happened to you earlier, right?"

Jamie nodded cautiously. "Yeah. I had a nightmare."

I sighed internally. I really should have punished that shadow more. I let my smile fall to one of concern. "Oh no! What was it about?"

"Well, it was all black. Then, a big, black...thing came out, and started talking to me in a really raspy voice."

"What did he say?" I asked.

"He said something about the darkness returning." Jamie replied.

I tilted my head curiously. "As in, Pitch?"

Jamie shook his head. "No. He said something about a Mistress. Mistress… Mara, I think he said?"

I nodded slowly. This was bad. Bad, but fixable. I bit my lip. "This is news. I'll tell you what; how about you let me take this to Jack and the Guardians, and you just don't worry about this anymore, okay?" I held out a small vial containing a clear liquid. "Here. Drink this."

Jamie took the vial carefully, and sniffed it suspiciously. "What is it?"

"It's a special liquid. It'll just calm you down, and help you sleep peacefully." It would also make him forget the last six hours, but I didn't mention that to him. He looked between the vial and me. I smiled at him encouragingly, and he took a small sip. Finding that it was almost just like water, he downed the whole bottle. I smiled genuinely as his eyes rolled back into his head, and he slumped over. I picked him up, and placed him in his bed.

Walking out of his room, I looked over my shoulder, and grinned. Plan back on track. Perfect.

 **A/N- Mara's awesome. Don't deny it. You will all be rooting for her. I will turn you all evil. *rubs hands together menacingly and cackles***

 **...**

 **Ahem. That didn't happen. You will all forget about that. You are getting sleeeeeeeepy...**

 **...**

 **No? I' just being weird again? Well, I excel at that. Anyway, fave, follow, review, and PM me!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N- 'Sup! I'm back!**

 **daringwolf2000: Thanks! I love hearing your input!**

 **kittyofolympus: *narrows eyes* Your puppy eyes are annoyingly effective. XD I have a bloodhound, so he's, like, the** ** _king_** **of pathetic sad puppy eyes!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RotG.**

I stared blankly at the table in front of me. A million thoughts were racing through my head, and any outward movement would destroy the flow. Suddenly, the door slammed open, and a shadow walked in. Snapping my head in the direction of the shadow, I growled, deep and menacing. The shadow cowered away, scared of my foul mood. It picked up it's head hesitantly. "I'm sorry, Mistress Mara, for disturbing you. But, I have bad news."

I narrowed my eyes, and motioned for it to go on. It took a shaky breath, and spoke, it's voice raspy. "The Guardians, Mistress. They're looking for you."

"What?!" I shrieked, jumping up. "Why?! I erased that stupid kid's memories!"

The shadow cleared it's throat. "And you did a wonderful job, Mistress. Much, much better than any of us could ever hope of doing. But, apparently, the shadow you punished, who gave the boy the nightmare, also gave one to his little sister."

I sighed, and rubbed my temples. "So, now they're looking for me?"

The shadow cocked it's head consideringly. "Well, not necessarily _you_ , Mistress. All they know is that a child had a nightmare. Nothing else. As of right now, they believe that they are looking for Pitch Black, Mistress."

I nodded, deep in thought. "I _really_ should have tortured that stupid shadow when I had the chance. Make a note of that for me for the future." The shadow nodded, and turned to leave. "Wait." I called. It turned back to me. "Put the castle on lockdown. No one in or out, stay away from the doors. I don't want those Guardians to get suspicious, and come sniffing around here."

The shadow nodded again, and left me alone to contemplate the new information. An evil grin spread over my face, as the blackened gears in my mind turned, formulating a new plan.

I can't wait to put it into action.

* * *

I waited until the 'threat' of the Guardians had passed. Ha. Yeah, because I'm _so scared_ of them. I laughed to myself. Once I was sure that I could go out without detection, I immediately left, to find out which holiday was closest.

I walked into the town of Burgess. I'd have to be careful; this was Jack Frost's hometown, and he hung out here a lot. I'd have to keep an eye out for him. It would make things very difficult in terms of my plans, if they knew who I was. Although, if I did get caught, I may be able to get away with acting like a regular mortal. Yeah, you know what? We'll try that.

I stood with my hands in the pockets of my dark jeans, looking around. I pulled my black scarf tighter around my face, and my black jacket closer around my body. Cold never bothered me- it complimented darkness quite nicely, actually- but most mortals seemed to have problems with it. I wouldn't know. I don't really remember much from my time as a living human, or how I died. Not that it mattered. What mattered was executing my plans, and plunging this world into darkness, so I could reign supreme. But, that was a way off. For now, I needed to take away the Guardians' power.

Baby steps. I have to be patient. It's always the impatient villains that lose pathetically.

I let out a sigh through my nose, and continued walking down the street. I noticed people putting up wreaths, and colorful lights. Some yards also had decorations out, like blow-up Santas.

Christmas it was, then.

That one would be a bit harder to take care of. North was powerful, and he had his yetis. So, this would be difficult, and would take a lot of careful planning. Difficult, but doable.

My favorite kind of challenge.

Grinning, I looked around to make sure Jack Frost wasn't around, and disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

I crept out of the castle, late on Christmas Eve. This had to be executed flawlessly, or else I or one of my shadows would be caught. Which was why I was only taking a team of elites to assist me with bringing down Christmas. I signaled to the ten creatures standing at attention behind me, and they all flew off in different directions, knowing exactly what to do. I headed for North America, having chosen that continent to take care of myself.

I slipped silently and undetected into the house, not long after North had left. I walked into the living room, where an evergreen stood proudly in the corner, flashing it's colorful ornaments and garlands. I rolled my eyes, scoffing at the stupidity. I quickly gathered all the presents, and shoved them into a sack. I scoffed again, reminded of that idiotic human movie, _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_. Except, there would be no change of heart for me.

Kinda hard to have a change of heart, if you don't even have a heart to begin with.

At least, that's what I like to tell myself. I went upstairs, figuring I'd also be _so generous_ as to grace the children of this household with some, ah, _colorful_ dreams…

I set the bag down outside the room, and walked in, expecting to see the child sleeping peacefully, the Sandman's dream sand dancing playfully above their head. What I was _not_ expecting, however, was the one and only Jack Frost standing in the child's room, hovering protectively over him. My gaze locked with him, and I ran out of the room, cursing. He flew after me, and I grabbed the bag. He grabbed my wrist, forcing me to face him, and Jack Frost got a good look at me, before I was able to use the shadows to pry myself away, and, leaving the bag, I disappeared back to my castle, calling the shadows with me.

* * *

I screamed in frustration, and threw a shadow dagger at the wall, narrowly missing the head of a shadow creature hovering nervously nearby. I paced furiously, gripping my hair.

"Goddamn it!" I yelled. "He saw me! He _fucking_ saw me!" I groaned loudly, and gestured madly to emphasize my point. "The entire plan. Down the drain. Gone! Poof! Just like that!"

"Mistress, I'm certain that you can-" the shadow began, before I cut him off with a desperate look.

"I can what?" I asked. "You're certain that I can what? The _entire_ basis of this plan, that I have spent _decades_ plotting, hangs in the fact that they _must not know who I am,_ until it is _too goddamn late!_ "

I took a few deep breaths, calming myself, before turning back to the shadow, a fire in my eyes. "That's it. Forget the plan. I have an idea, and we are going to take that goddamn winter spirit _down_."

I stalked out of the room, and the shadow followed nervously, startled by my sudden mood swings.

 **A/N- So, I actually had this chapter typed in Google Docs, then I typed Chapter Three. I was about ready to post the next chapter, too, when I realized I hadn't posted _this one_. XD **

**Anyway, fave, follow, review, and PM me!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N- Hey, look, I finally got around to updating this! Hope you all enjoy it!**

 **Reviews!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RotG.**

I walked through the town, relishing in the moonless night. My eyes scanned the skies for Jack Frost, and I was not disappointed when I saw no sign of the spirit, nor a single snowflake falling. Grinning, I stuck my hands into the pockets of my dark leather jacket, and made my way to Jamie's house.

When I got there, I saw the light on in his room, and an eager face searching the stars, leaning out the window. I disappeared into the shadows, appearing inside his room. "Careful, you might fall out."

Jamie jumped, and spun around, indeed almost falling out of the window. He eyed me warily. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"

I shrugged off the wall, and stepped out of the shadows. "The name's Mara, kid. Sorry, I lied to you the other night. I am not, nor ever will be, in charge of _love_."

He looked closer at me. "Valentine?"

"Mara," I corrected.

"Mara," Jamie repeated. "You're a Guardian?"

"Not quite, kid," I laughed. "There may be a lot of spirits, but only the Big Five that can take the title 'Guardian'. But, anyway, no, I'm not a Guardian. I _am_ a spirit, though."

"Spirit of what?" Jamie asked. "Why can I see you?"

"Well, you may not believe in _me._ Not necessarily, at least," I replied. " _But_ , you believed in my predecessor, the one who came before me."

"Who?" Jamie pressed.

I smiled evilly, leaning in as if to reveal a huge secret, and whispered "Pitch Black. I'm the new Boogeyman."

Jamie gasped, and backed away in fear. I straightened, and took a deep breath, reveling in the smell of his fright. "Chill out, kid. I'm not here to hurt you. Actually, I need you for something."

"Whatever you're planning, it won't work," Jamie said shakily. "I helped defeat the Boogeyman before, and I'll do it again. I'll tell Jack and the Guardians." He closed his eyes, shaking his head in defiance. "I'm not afraid of you. _I'm not afraid of you!_ "

I laughed. "You don't have to be, kid. You see, that was _such a design flaw for Pitch._ One that I don't have. My power lies primarily in _darkness,_ not fear. Wanna know why?"

Jamie glared at me defiantly, and raised his head. I smirked. "I like your spunk, kid. I take more for darkness, because it's _everywhere_. The darkness is unstoppable."

"You're wrong," Jamie stated stoically. "It's light that will _always_ win."

"Actually, _you're_ wrong," I retorted. "What is always there, wherever light is present? Darkness. What is there, in the absence of light? _Darkness._ It's unavoidable. It's _powerful_. You don't have to believe in darkness for it to always be there. But, I've gone off on a bit of a tangent. What I really wanted to do was introduce you to some of my friends."

I snapped my fingers, and a few shadow-creatures popped up, eyes glowing red, grinning wolfishly, as they moved toward Jamie slowly. "These are a few of my servants. You're going to be taking a little stay with me."

Another snap, and the creatures launched forward, enveloping Jamie, and taking him away,before he could make a noise. I was about to follow, but I paused, noticing a piece of paper and a pencil. I picked it up, and scribbled a little note, placing it where I knew Jack would find it, but not Jamie's family. I left the room in a flourish of shadows, causing the note to tremble in the movement.

 _Night's falling, Frosty. And there's nothing you can do._

* * *

I rubbed my temples as I listened to the endless ranting and complaining of the child I had kidnapped. I growled at Jamie, shooting him a glare that made him shut his mouth, though he still had a furious look in his eye. "Would you _shut up,_ kid?"

"I have a _name_ , you know," Jamie sniffed. "Besides, it's not _my_ fault you kidnapped me."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, one? Of _course_ I know your name, Jamie. I just happen to find it easier to call you 'kid'. Second, I _could_ treat you a _hell_ of a lot worse than I do. You think most prisoners get their own rooms, and free roam of my castle? And you're _complaining_?"

"Why _are_ you treating me like this, if I'm your prisoner?" Jamie asked.

I sighed. "Because, I like to think I'm better than most villains. Anyway, don't you have something to do, other than pester me? There are huge libraries here, a pool, and a few game rooms. Entertain yourself."

"You have those rooms just for prisoners?" Jamie stood, wide-eyed, disbelieving.

" _Hell_ no, kid!" I snorted, crossing my arms. "I have them because I'm an immortal teenager, who happens to get bored easily. _That_ , and I'm awesome. Now, get out of my hair. I have stuff to plan."

I waved a hand, and a shadow-creature escorted Jamie out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I sat back down in the over-sized chair, and sighed, rubbing my temples. I flicked my wrist, and the pool of shadows in front of me rippled, changing to show me a scene, of a white-haired teen flying around anxiously, searching for his lost friend. The projection of Jack called out silently, being as the pool had no sound. I bit my lip, considering my next move. If I wanted Jack out of the picture, I had to plan this carefully. I stood up, and disappeared into the shadows. I have to have a little _conversation_ with Frosty.

* * *

I appeared at a lake, leaning against a tree, safely hidden by the shadows. I spotted Jack sitting forlornly in a tree, gripping my note angrily. I cleared my throat, stepping into the light. "Missing someone, Frosty?"

Jack's head shot up, and he spotted me immediately, falling out of the tree in surprise. He ran over to stand in front of me, looking me over excitedly. He obviously didn't recognize me. Then again, I was dressed a bit differently (as in, jeans, a dark tee, and my black leather jacket, rather than the black cat-burglar thing I was wearing that night.) "Who are you? You believe in me?"

I held up a hand to stop him. "Cool it, there. One, yes, I do see you, because I'm a spirit. Two, you won't be excited to see me once you know what I have to say."

Jack's expression fell, then changed to a carefully guarded countenance. "Who are you, then? Why are you here."

"My name's Mara. Though, you wouldn't know who I am," I tilted my head, raising an eyebrow, and giving an evil smile. "Perhaps you know my predecessor? You see, I kind of inherited my current title."

" _Who are you_?" Jack demanded. His eyes widened, then narrowed. "The girl from the other night."

"Tch, tch," I tsked in disapproval, beginning to pace. "Now, that's _rude_. If you _must_ know, I'm the successor of Pitch Black. I'm the new Boogeyman."

In a flash, Jack had me pinned, hands around my throat. "Where is he?! Where is Jamie?!"

I laughed, shaking my head. "So worried. No need, though, your friend is fine. See?" I waved my hand, and showed a live image of Jamie sitting in the library, reading, through the shadows. "He's quite safe with me. And content, too. Though, I gotta say, he can be _quite_ an earful."

I looked at Jack, and saw his fuming expression. "I'm assuming you want him back? Well, that's simple enough, I suppose. You'd just have to meet me for him. I'll gladly hand him over. For a price."

"What do you want?" Jack growled.

"You'll see," I sing-songed. "I'll send one of my servants to tell you where we'll meet. Do we have a deal?"

Jack allowed me to stand. "Fine."

"Good," I made for the shadows, but hesitated, looking over my shoulder. "Oh, and Frosty? Come alone. If I find out you brought friends, I'll kill the boy. Ta-ta!"

I left before Jack could do anything, leaving behind only a cackle, and a dark chill in the air.

 **A/N- Until next time, mah peeps! Fave, follow, review, and PM me!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N- So, I got my inspiration back for this story! And, let me tell you, I am** ** _super_** **excited for where it is going. Anyway, I'm FINALLY back with another chapter! Yay!**

 **Reviews!**

 **daringwolf2000: Nope, Jack is not happy in the least! Then again, I think Mara knows what she's doing... XD**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.**

"Where are we going?" Jamie asked, jogging after me.

I continued walking down the hall. "To a special room. I need to get something. Then, I'm taking you to _Jack Frost."_ I spat out his name, like poison on the tongue.

"Wait, you're taking me home?"

"Well, you _were_ only to be used as bait." I rolled my eyes. "I only nabbed _you_ because of your relations to that goddamned winter spirit. I have plans, and _he_ keeps getting in the way of them."

"What are you going to do to him?" Damn, this kid was starting to get on my nerves.

I smirked at him. "You really think I'm going to tell you my plans?"

Jamie shrugged. "Not really. I'm just curious. And worried."

I sighed, stopping. Turning to face Jamie, I knelt down so that I was eye-level with him. "Jamie, you want to know Pitch's biggest flaw?"

"His roots in fear?" the boy tried, obviously recalling the night I kidnapped him.

I shook my head. "That was more of a design flaw. No, I meant flaws in his _plan._ You see, Pitch wanted a world that was _pure_ darkness, no good in it at all. I don't. I know that there's a need for balance. Completely eradicating the others is _not_ part of my plan. I just need them out of the picture long enough to put my plan in action. Then, I'll let them do their jobs, but still keep them weak enough so they can't overpower me. Anyway, Jack is rather powerful, and has proven quite troublesome. Therefore, I need _him_ out of the picture first. The others shouldn't be too hard to handle after that."

Jamie nodded, absorbing this information. We reached a room that had walls lined with shelves, floor-to-ceiling covered in jars full of different ingredients, potions, elixirs, and salves. I handed him a vial of a clear liquid, which he took, looking at it suspiciously. Grabbing another, I pulled off the stopper, tossing in a few other ingredients, before recapping it and slipping it into my pocket. "What's this?"

"The same thing I gave you before, when you thought I was Valentine," I replied. It still bothered me slightly that he remembered that. "You'll fall asleep, and forget about this conversation."

"Why would you give it to me, then?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Because I figured you would rather drink it voluntarily, rather than having it forced down your throat." I shrugged. "I'm fine either way, but it's your choice."

Jamie immediately downed the contents of the bottle. He immediately passed out, and I caught him and the glass vial before either could hit the floor. With a sigh, I tossed the boy over my shoulder, placing the empty bottle on the table in the middle of the room. Smirking to myself, I made my way out of the castle.

"Ready or not, Frosty, here I come."

* * *

I faced Jack, both of us in the middle of a desolate forest. There were no inhabitants for miles around, plus it was close to the equator. So, Jack was weak, and there was little to no chance of the other Guardians finding us. I smirked at the winter spirit, who was obviously suffering amidst the sweltering heat. "A little warm for you, Frosty?"

He simply glared at me. "Where's Jamie?"

I laughed, and rolled my eyes. "Chill out, would you? He's right here."

I snapped my fingers, and a shadow creature appeared, carrying the still-unconscious boy. Jack's eyes widened for a moment, before narrowing to slits as he turned his gaze back to me. "What did you do to him?"

I sighed. "He's fine. Just asleep. I couldn't exactly have him seeing the way out of my lair. He might try to find it again, or tell you where to find it."

"Why?" he challenged. "Got something to hide?"

I raised an eyebrow. " _Duh._ But, that's not why I called you here. We have a deal to make, no? Well, that is, if you want your little friend back. Honestly, he's not _that_ bad. It would be entertaining to keep him around, if our little business exchange goes awry. Then again, I also wouldn't be upset if he were to die." I tapped my chin thoughtfully, giving a wolfish smile at his hesitation as he realized that he had no power in this. Not a thing would happen that I didn't want.

"What do you want, Mara?" Jack asked, his voice cold.

I held out my hand. "Staff. Give it." Jack hesitated, pulling his symbol of power closer to himself. I shrugged, and jerked Jamie to a stand in front of me, the boy still limp in my arms. Conjuring up a knife in one hand, I raised an eyebrow at Jack. "You can either give me the staff, or I will slit his throat."

After another second of hesitation, Jack gave me the staff. With a smirk, I used the shadows to send it to my castle. "Now, give me Jamie."

"Ah, ah, ah," I wagged a finger at the winter spirit. "There's just one more thing I need you to do."

"Mara, I fulfilled my half of the deal," he said, a warning tone tinting his voice. "Now, _give me Jamie._ "

My smirk fell. "Let's not forget who has the power here, _Jack._ This boy is obviously important to you. Therefore, if you want him returned to you safe and sound, you'll do as I say. You see, this is usually how hostage situations work. Besides, I now have your staff. So, what little power you may have had is gone." I pulled the vial out of my pocket, and tossed it to Jack. He looked from it, to me. I rolled my eyes. "Drink it."

"What is it?" he asked, suspicion lacing his countenance.

"It's an elixir that will make you sleep," I told him. "When you wake up, you will have no memory of me. And, you will be human."

Jack's eyes widened, and he took a step back, looking from me to the vial. "What?"

I sighed. "Jack, I need you out of the way. However, what I _don't_ want is for you to be dead. Unlike Pitch, I don't want all of you dead. I just want to be the one in charge. I want to bring back the Dark Ages, yes, a world completely under my rule. Once I do that, I can regulate your abilities, so that you may do your job, without having the power to overthrow me. It's quite simple, actually. But, in order for me to _get_ there, I need you and your little Guardian friends out of the way. This was a rather simple way to do that." I smirked. "Besides, you've longed to be human again for a while, haven't you? Three hundred years alone, yeah? Not pleasant. Sure, you have your little Burgess Bunch _now,_ but what are you going to do when they grow up? Stop believing? What then, Jack, when you're all alone once again? Trust me, I'm offering you a service. Just drink the elixir, and all of your worries will go away, if just for a short while."

I knew that my words had a powerful effect on Jack, and that he really was considering going through with drinking it. He just needed one last push. "May I remind you, Jack, that you don't have a choice. You either drink the elixir, or you will never see Jamie again. Not alive, at least."

That was all the Guardian needed. Unstopping the bottle, he downed the contents quickly. He fell to the ground, unconscious, and I grinned. The largest obstacle was now out of my way. Summoning a pair of shadows, I handed Jamie over to them, ordering them to take both the boy and Jack to Burgess.

Now, for the rest of them.

 **A/N- So, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. And in the fact that I have a ton of ideas for the future of this story. Anyway, I have lasagna to make, characters to torture, and followers to make cry! XD Until next time, fave, follow, review, and PM me!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N- Guess what? I'm on summer vacay. That means we're back to having random updates in the middle of the night! Woo! XD Yeah, I woke up at seven in the morning recently, and my mom tried to talk to me. I was like 'Uh, no. I'm going back to sleep. It's** ** _summer_** **, 1am=10pm and 7am=4am.' XD**

 **Also, my lasagna was fantastic. In case any of you were wondering. XD**

 **Reviews!**

 **daringwolf2000: Well, you get to find out! XD Yeah, gotta love that summer schedule!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.**

I was sitting in my study, contemplating on what to do next. I had to tread carefully, especially after my last move. Everything would have to happen quickly. It wouldn't take the Guardians long to realize what had happened to Jack, and, though he didn't remember me, they would be on high alert for any suspicious activity.

Thinking of Jack, I should probably check on him. Make sure the elixir worked as it should. Both he and Jamie should be awake by now. Hours had gone by since the exchange.

Normally, I would send a servant to check on them, or watch through my shadow pools. That was too risky, though. The safest bet was to go in person.

So, changing into mortal clothes so that I could blend in better, I went aboveground to Burgess.

* * *

I found Jack walking through the park alone. It took me a moment to recognize him, as his signature white hair and blue hoodie were absent. Instead, they were replaced with a thick, navy jacket, and brown hair. I stepped out of a shadow behind him, jogging slightly to catch up. "Kinda cold out."

Jack jumped and turned to face me, eyes wide. He relaxed slightly when he saw me, though. "Yeah. I don't really remember ever feeling it like this, though."

"Oh?" I asked quizzically. I honestly didn't care about his musing, I just wanted to make sure he didn't remember me, or have his powers. "You know, I once knew someone who could never felt the cold, either. He would go out in the middle of winter, hoodie and barefoot. It always seemed to get a bit colder out when he was around, too."

Jack gave me an odd look. "What was your name?"

I smiled, slight relief flooding through me. "You don't recognize me?"

Jack shook his head. "No. Should I?"

I shook my head. "No, Jack. No you shouldn't."

With that, I melted into the shadows to begin implementing the rest of my plan. With Jack out of the way, there wasn't too much standing in my way, now.

* * *

I figured that my next target should be Tooth. She was much weaker than the others, and thus easier to pick off. Plus, she would really only be in one of two places: her palace, or the North Pole. Personally, I hoped it wasn't the latter, as that would require me to face all four remaining Guardians at once, something that I wasn't completely sure I could do. I was strong, yes, but not quite _that_ strong. Then again, I _really_ needed to get this part of the plan over with, before the Guardians could deduce anything, or plan any kind of counter strike. The sooner they were out of the way, the better.

My first stop was the Tooth Palace. I stayed carefully hidden in the shadows, not wanting to be spotted. The baby teeth were flitting about, in a rush as always, though without their usual gusto. I scoffed, and rolled my eyes. They must have found out what happened to their favorite little winter sprite. However, for as many baby teeth as there were, there was no Tooth Fairy. Which meant she was at the North Pole.

Well, _shit._

With a sigh, I used the shadows to take me to Santa's workshop. If I acted swiftly, I may be able to take a few of them down before the surprise wore off, and they started fighting back.

When I got there, all four Guardians were facing the Globe, completely unaware of my presence. I smirked. This may be easier than I thought. Tooth was the farthest back, but she was busily chatting with her baby teeth. If I took her out first, the others would notice her silence. No, Sandy would probably be my best first victim. The only tricky part would be getting him. I couldn't use one of my potions to put him to sleep- after all, he was the spirit in charge of it. The only thing I could really do was turn him human, then send him away. I would have to act fast, though, before one of the others noticed me.

I crept up silently behind the oblivious spirit, elixir ready in hand. However, it was just that moment that Tooth looked up from what she was doing, and spotted me.

She gasped, and called out a warning. "Sandy! Behind you!"

The Sandman turned around, shock obvious on his face as he spotted me. I froze, startled, and it didn't register that I should _get the hell out of there_ _,_ until there were chains of dream sand wrapped tightly around me. Struggle as I might, I was caught.

The four Guardians faced me, anger clear on their faces. North stepped forward first, wielding his swords. "Who are you?"

I held my head high, glaring down at the Russian. "Why should I tell _you?_ "

"Because your other option is getting a faceful of bunny foot," Bunnymund threatened.

I scoffed. "You can't hurt me. You have no leverage."

"Uh, I don't know if you noticed, but we have you captured," Tooth pointed out.

I grinned wolfishly. "That may be true, but how long can you keep me here? And, how many of _you_ know what happened to your precious little _Jack Frost_ _,_ and how to reverse it?"

North gasped, and narrowed his eyes at me, pointing one of his swords at me in an accusing manner. "What did you do to Jack?"

"Got him out of the way." I shrugged, or at least as best I could, wrapped up as I was. "And gave him back what he wanted most. Something nothing neither you nor the Man in the Moon could or _would_ give him." I leaned forward, and curled my lip back in a sneer. "His _humanity_."

The others gasped, and were taken aback, to the point where there was little struggle when my shadows showed up, responding to the distress call I had sent out. They quickly overpowered the shell-shocked Guardians, and I fell to the floor when Sandy was captured. I grinned, and gave a curt nod to my shadow-creatures. "Very good. Take them to the dungeons, lock them up tight. I want a twenty-four/seven guard on them, but not close enough to be taken advantage of. Oh, and make sure they're _competent_ _._ Some idiot releasing them is the _last_ thing I need now. Also, don't forget to take their weapons."

They nodded, disappearing into the shadows to carry out my orders. As for me, I stood looking triumphantly at the Globe, whose lights were flickering slightly as the effects of Tooth and Sandy unable to do their jobs started to take hold.

There was nothing in my way now.

The world was as good as _mine._

 **A/N- So, tell me what you all think! Until next time, fave, follow, review, and PM me!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N- So, guess who's foot is in a shit-ton of pain! Mine! Woo!**

 **Yeah, I may or may not have dropped a rock on it while playing in the stream with Alexis and my brother. Cut down to the tendon, had to get stitched. Don't worry, though, I'll be fine. Besides, this gives me an excuse to stay in bed and write! XD**

 **Anyway, reviews!**

 **daringwolf2000: Well, ye need not go crazy any longer! Though, insanity isn't that bad, really... XD**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RotG.**

It didn't take long. My shadows spread across the world, eclipsing any light they came across. It wouldn't stay _entirely_ like that, of course- I'm sure I've made clear by now that I saw the need for the light, irksome as it may be. This was just for a _special announcement_ to the world.

I stood atop my castle, which had risen above ground, there being no need to hide it now. I sighed in triumph, before addressing my world. I spoke, my shadows communicating my word across the globe. "My dear, dear friends. Most of you do not know who I am. So, allow me to introduce myself. I am Mara, Mistress of the Darkness, Commander of Fear. One of my better-known titles might be the Boogeyman, though I'm not as fond of that one. Regardless, this world is mine now. I have ushered in a new Dark Age, one that will last for millennia, if not longer. Some of you, particularly my younger subjects, may be familiar with beings such as the Easter Bunny, or Santa, or the Tooth Fairy, or even Jack Frost. May I assure you, they will continue doing their jobs, but don't hold out hope of them saving you. As we speak, I alter their minds, so that they may only obey _my_ word. Regardless, I assure you that I will rule with a level mind and just hand. For the most part, you shall go about your daily lives as per usual. However, I will be making some alterations, alerts for which will come soon via my shadows. That is all."

I stepped back rather proud of myself on the part of my first speech. Of course, shadows were flooding in with the complaints and backlash of the humans, though that was to be expected. Once they realize how much better off they are under my control, this will stop. However, it will most likely take a long time before this happens.

Good thing I'm patient.

Not having anything to do as of this moment, I decided to visit Burgess, being as it was close by. I idly considered wearing normal human clothes, but decided against it. I had no reason to blend in now, so why should I? Then again, I _was_ rather comfortable in those clothes…

Eh, why not? I wasn't the type who needed to be received with parades and fanatics, etcetera. So, I simply used my shadows to teleport me to the town.

When I arrived, I had to raise an eyebrow at how the town was responding. Many families were comforting crying children, while groups of adults were obviously making preparations to fight. I assumed that their governments were already putting plans into action to overthrow me. I made a mental note to address that problem later.

I was spotted almost immediately, and it just so happened to be Jamie that saw me first. He gasped in surprise. "Mara! What are you doing here?"

This outburst caught the attention of everyone around, and they all immediately went to action. Children were ushered inside. Someone tried to pull Jamie away, but I sent a glare at them. "I am _speaking_ to this child, thank you very little. I'll thank you to not pull him away." I shook my head in mock chagrin. "Tsk, tsk. Such a lack of manners." I turned back to Jamie. "Well, Jamie, I have taken what is mine, you see. The world is mine."

"The Guardians will stop you," he argued. "Jack-"

"Jack _what?_ _"_ I laughed. "Your dear friend _Jack Frost_ is _human_ _._ He gave up his powers to make sure _you_ were safe. As for the others, well they are in my custody. Did you not hear my announcement? They are powerless to stop me."

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely," the boy growled out at me.

I chuckled. "Wise words from someone so young. Don't worry, though. I assure you my mental state is completely stable."

"Isn't that what all the villains say?" Jamie asked.

I shrugged. "True. Then again, most other villains don't _succeed_ in their world-dominating plans. I have, and there is nothing to stop me."

"I wouldn't be so sure," a voice called out. I turned to see- much to my utter bafflement and surprise- Jack _Frost_ _-_ as a _spirit_ _,_ not a human- running towards me.

I stared wide-eyed for a moment before shaking my head, and easily side-stepping the onslaught, laughing at his pathetic attempts to harm me. "Oh? And what are you going to do, Jack? I have your staff, without which you're powerless. On top of that, your Guardians have fallen. Besides, why would you _want_ to stop me?"

"Why _wouldn't_ I?" Jack asked, bewildered. "You're an evil psycho who took over the Earth."

I rolled my eyes. "Jack, did you even stop to consider that _maybe_ I'm not as bad as you give me credit for? I have united the world. Without individual countries, there will be no more war. Under my supervision, people will help each other, and those third-world places that are dying of starvation and sickness because others aren't doing all they can to help _will_ be helped! Isn't that what you _want_ _,_ Jack? To help the children of the world?" My eyes softened. "I can give them what you and the Guardians _didn't_ _._ A safe, happy, _united_ world to live in. The humans wouldn't be able to do so under their own accord- they've made as much obvious. But, with a little supernatural guidance, they could do _so much more_ _._ The only price is the absence of light."

Jack shook his head. "How can you rule a world where most don't even see you?"

I laughed. "Because I am _darkness_ _._ I am everywhere, omnipresent. Where there is no light, there is darkness, but where light casts its beams, shadows are sure to follow. I don't _need_ to be believed in, for my presence to be known."

"And what about the Guardians?" Jack asked. "I'm assuming we don't fit into this Utopian world you dream of."

"Actually, you _do_ ," I said. "Jack, I know why the children need you. They need fun, and wonder, and hope, and memories, and dreams, and everything else you Guardians give them." I sighed when Jack didn't seem to be convinced. "Listen, Frosty. I may not know how you got your powers back, but _I_ run this world now. Personally, I happen to _love_ winter. It's my favorite season. Always has been, always will be, The cold _compliments_ the darkness, and quite nicely, in fact. As I said, I know why the children need you. But, don't think that means I will hesitate to kill you. If I believe you are interfering with my plans, I will obliterate you, once and for all. So, I suggest you tread carefully."

Not waiting for a response, I melted back into the shadows and returned to my castle, eager to see how the warping of the Guardians' minds was coming.

 **A/N- So, yeah. That was that chapter. Hope you all liked it!**

 **By the way, I don't know how many of you are into Now You See Me but HOLY FUDGECAKES I JUST WATCHED THE SEQUEL AND OH MY GODS IT WAS BEAUTIFUL! XD I made Lexi watch the first one with me (because she is uncultured swine) (not really, love you, Lex!) and she got SO PISSED at me during this one part, where something really bad happened to her favorite character. Having watched it already, I, of course, knew that everything would be alright, but when she turned to me for that assurance, I twisted my words and made her think that it wouldn't get better. XD**

 **Anyway, that's all for now. Fave, follow, review, and PM me!**


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